Help for Heroes

Help for Heroes (H4H) - website http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/ is a charity set up in October 2007 by an ex-British soldier and his wife after visiting wounded soldiers at Birmingham Selly Oak Hospital, the main receiving centre for British battle casualties from Afghanistan and Iraq. Britain has supported George Bush's "War on Terror" with considerable money and energy, but as ever, the real price is paid by the soldiers and airman who are wounded and killed. Servicemen and women are not particularly well paid in Britain, and while initial battlefield medicine in superb compared to what was available just a few years ago, it is the long term support of wounded soldiers and their families that concerns 'Help for Heroes'. The charity and its supporters are completely non-political – they neither publicly support nor condemn the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. They function purely to help the British service victims of the conflicts. The charity hit a public nerve and it has received a huge amount of publicity in the UK. They have very low administration costs and most of the donations, income from sponsored events and collections are spent on direct support of the wounded. Unfortunately, the 'wish list' requirements are steadily growing and the donated money is allocated very quickly. Prince William opened a new rehabilitation centre at Headley Court (June 2010) and said: "Very occasionally – perhaps once or twice in a generation – something or someone pops up to change the entire landscape. 'Help for Heroes' is one such phenomenon. What it has achieved here at Headley Court is, in truth, but the tip of the iceberg." In Britain we don't have the VA system as the USA does (although I know that many ex-soldiers slip through the American VA net). Once British veterans have left the service, they are often really struggling to rebuild a worthwhile life for themselves and their families. H4H does its best to help those in need. I know this doesn't address the Afghan civilian casualties of the war - another huge concern, but still, H4H is doing a terrific job in the UK and deserves our support. Two thumbs up.